Opinion: This Passover, we cannot pass over lingering hate

This April 5, as the Jewish community begins to celebrate Passover, we are thinking about ways to become more free. As Jews living in the United States, many freedoms are afforded to us. But are we fully free when antisemitism proliferates and our own children experience it? Can we have full freedom when others don’t believe antisemitism exists or believe it is only a minor problem?

Passover celebrates the Israelites’ emancipation from slavery. Moses asks Pharaoh to "let my people go," and when Pharaoh refuses, God unleashes 10 plagues, culminating in the slaying of every firstborn Egyptian son. All Jewish households are "passed over," sparing their eldest sons’ lives.

That passing over was an act of Divine love. However, in today’s search for fuller freedom, we cannot pass over hate. Hate limits and harms us. It causes fear and must be fought.

To feel secure, and free, we need the broader community to see antisemitism. All the data shows antisemitism is dramatically on the rise, reaching historically high levels in 2022. You may not have seen it, but Cincinnati experiences frequent incidents of antisemitism, including hate-filled graffiti in parks and antisemitic flyers distributed on college campuses and in neighborhoods.

Recently, our community stepped up, refusing to pass over hate. On March 15, Cincinnati’s City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. This is a big win. The definition is simple: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." This vote is an important move in the right direction, towards our physical and mental freedom.

We believe that the fight against antisemitism is, and must be, part of the fight against all hate. We believe in a diverse, inclusive democracy, with freedom for all. We do not take those values for granted. We fight for them every day in Cincinnati, in Columbus and in Washington.

But more needs to be done. Most Americans don’t know that Jews are only 2.4% of the population, but victims of 55% of all religion-based hate crimes. We need awareness, or else we cannot be free. Stopping "the oldest form of hate" will require changes in our society.

We hope you will soon see evidence of a new national effort to fight antisemitism that was just launched this March. It is coordinated by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), which is funded by Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. His own foundation, along with FCAS, began by broadcasting ads during NFL games, calling on viewers to "stand up to Jewish hate."

The first time I (Danielle) saw one of these ads, I was moved. I hadn’t seen antisemitism called out so publicly in that way before, and I felt seen. I also value how this campaign is committed to fighting antisemitism, while simultaneously committed to standing up against all hate.

This campaign, #StandUpToJewishHate, is supported by a broad coalition of Jewish and allied groups. It aims to raise awareness about the modern hatred Jews face and build empathy and solidarity in the general population in a way that drives change. Its symbol is a blue square, which we hope will become a familiar emblem.

After Passover, we will renew the fight for our freedom, and the freedom of our neighbors. We will continue to stand with Cincinnati in refusing to let anyone pass over hate − whether directed at the Jewish community or any other.

Danielle V. Minson is CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Rabbi Ari Ballaban is director of the Jewish Community Relations Council. For information and resources on the Cincinnati Jewish community and combating antisemitism, please visit jewishcincinnati.org and jewishcincinnati.org/jcrc.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: This Passover, we cannot pass over lingering hate